A Special Bond, Now Broken
by PurpleSara
Summary: How come I've never realized this before... We've always had a bond with each other, mysterious yet sweet. What has been the source of that bond? Friendship? Candy? Adventure? Or even love? Just now I've begun to know what it is... but it's too late. The bond has been snapped. Now I'll never see her again.


Dark clouds loomed in the sky. A small rain began to fall to the ground. Soon it became wet and mushy as the heavens poured out its tears. It seemed to be mourning for the loss of a certain person.

A Sauvillean graveyard comes into sight. A young man with dark hair stands in front of a grave, his hands clasped together in prayer. To whom, he did not really know. Why, he couldn't answer to that either, except that it's the custom of his people to do so.

His prayer finished, Kazuya Kujo continued to stare down at the grave, his complexion sad, and his eyes dull.

VICTORIQUE CHRISTIANE de BLOIS  
1910-1928

Kazuya recalled on that day, just last week, when he took his best friend on a cruise, where no murderers or meddlers would interfere, in celebration of their graduation. He would talk to her, engaging in friendly and intellectual conversation, like they always did. She would be snarky and sharp, while he would be gentle and sometimes scolding. He would gaze at her pretty face, fairylike with a piercing look, and occasionally would run his fingers through her long and lustrous blond hair. He would delight in her changed expression when he offered candy, and she would devour it all in a cute and dainty way. When they stood on the deck of the cruise ship looking out over the railing, he relished the moment between he and Victorique as they held hands and talked about their futures.

But not for long. Soon after there came a cruise ship attendant out on the main deck and urgently informed the passengers that there was a big hole in the ship's starboard by an unknown reason, and ushered them all to the rafts.

With all the passengers gathered, they began to lower the raft boats. The water rose steadily higher (or the boat sunk steadily lower, however you look at it).

"Women and children first!" the captain yelled.

Victorique took a glance at Kazuya, who nodded and smiled at her reassuringly. She squeezed his hand. She waited for the last line of women and children until she herself went with them, leaving Kazuya's side.

With the women and children boarded, they took up over half of the rafts.

The men began to board. Kazuya would be one of the last, first because he is young, and second because he allowed others to go before him.

At last, only Kazuya and the captain were left. Each raft was filled to their capacity. Kazuya's heart sank.

"Is that all the rafts on this boat?" the captain yelled down to an attendant.

"There's a total of ten rafts, sir. I believe we got them all out," the attendant replied.

"I see," the captain said solemnly. He turned to Kazuya. "Don't worry, son, we'll just switch you with one of the attendants," he reassured with a smile.

Right after he said that, there was a commotion among the rafts down below. Both the men turned to see a small figure in a dress clambering and stepping over people in the rafts, careful not to step in the water. The attendants tried to get her to stop and go back, but she ignored them and persevered.

Kazuya widened his eyes and muttered, "Victorique…"

She reached the stairs on the ship's side and started to climb up them, but an attendant grabbed her arm and started to pull her back. She struggled against him with fire and determination in her eyes until she released herself. She climbed up the stairs despite many protests.

Victorique got to the top and faced the surprised and bewildered men. Kazuya started to speak, but was cut off by Victorique.

"Captain, I would like to trade places with this man," the blonde said, her tone of voice confirming that she was serious.

"Victori–"

"Hush your mouth, Kujo. I have said what I have said," she replied, her green eyes piercing through his brown eyes.

"Now, mademoiselle, we simply cannot let you do that. You're a woman, you know," the captain admonished her. "We'll find a willing ship attendant to come with me and that way both of your lives will be saved."

"Captain!" a ship attendant shouted. "The ship is sinking faster, sir. If we don't paddle away to safety soon, we'll be sucked in by the whirlpool!"

"I understand. Is there any attendant among you who would be willing to stay on the ship?"

The ship attendant's face grew queer. He shouted the same question to another attendant, who shouted to another.

Victorique beheld the scene, realizing that there will be nobody to take their place. She resolved that there was only one thing to do.

The Sauvillean grabbed Kazuya by the arm and shoved him toward the staircase, where he managed to catch himself. He turned, bewildered and fearful, to Victorique. She said to him in a commanding voice, "Go now, Kujo, and save yourself."

"Victorique, no!" the Japanese boy cried. He came to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. " _You_ should be down there, not me!"

Victorique glared at him in a steely way, but her voice shook as she spoke. "My fountain of wisdom told me that I should be the sacrifice. It is never wrong."

He sucked in his breath, suddenly overcome by the grave situation before him. "Then if you die, we'll die together! We've always been together, Victorique! I don't know what will happen if we're separated so cruelly…" Kazuya caught a lump in his throat.

The captain stepped in with urgency in his voice. "I don't mean to interrupt, but if you don't make a decision right now, the raft remaining below will begin to paddle away."

Victorique looked at Kazuya, tears welling up in her eyes. "Go, Kazuya Kujo. I command it." She stepped away from his arms and led him to the stairway.

"Victorique, no…" Kazuya whispered. His pride as the third son of a Japanese high-ranking officer would not let a lady sacrifice herself. Try as he might, though, he knew he would not deter Victorique once she resolved to do something. Despite his whispered protests, she led him down the staircase and told the attendant to take him.

As the raft paddled away and the ship appeared smaller and smaller, he would look back to see Victorique's tiny, tiny figure looking back at him. The smaller she got, the more the lump in his throat got bigger until he started hiccupping.

"VICTORIQUE!" he shouted with all his might, overcome with emotion. He hoped that she heard him, for it would be the last time she would hear him say her name.

The ship went out of sight. Kazuya let tears fall down his cheeks as he shuddered. Some of the passengers sniffed and gave him sympathizing looks.

He looked out over the ocean, where it claimed two more souls as its grave. _Why did she do it?_ he wondered agonizingly. _The old man said our hearts would never be apart… and yet it's come to this? She was so innocent, so vulnerable, so unlike any other girl… and I'll never see her again. Oh, why is death so cruel? Is there anything that's defeated such power?_

* * *

Even now, as Kazuya stood in front of her grave, he pondered on those very questions. He let them fill his soul with rage and agony. He slid down to the mushy ground and sobbed, his shoulders shaking in the cold of the rain.

 _Why did you give yourself up, Victorique? I should have died, not you… You would be of much more use to this world than I could be._

He envisioned his last moments with Victorique, when she looked at him with tears in her eyes and… something else he could not place. Did she really sacrifice herself because her fountain of wisdom told her to? Or was it for some greater reason?

Memories flashed through his mind of their four years together. They went through much, overcame much, experienced much. She became his first real friend, a real change from the students who shunned him. And she was just… different. She would be tough and sharp outwardly, but she sometimes gave way to a softer side of her. Either way, Kazuya very much enjoyed her company. He felt strongly for her, though he didn't really know what it was. All he knew is that she was a very special friend. And they had a special bond with each other.

Kazuya just now was beginning to realize something, and it was very profound.

 _She loved me! That must be why she willingly gave herself up! It could not have been just her fountain of wisdom to make her do this self-sacrifice… And that's what I saw in her eyes at that time… But then this means she loved me long before this, and just now I'm beginning to realize it…_

The Japanese young man, kneeled over her grave, began to know what feelings he's had for her for a long, long time, and it shook him with emotion.

 _If only I'd have realized it sooner… Now I'll never get to tell her. She's gone._

His trembling hand touched Victorique's epitaph. He looked up at the gray sky, blinking out the sprinkling rain drops. Hoping that she, the Golden Fairy, would hear him in heaven, he whispered:

"Victorique of Sauville, I love you… I always have."

After a few moments in that position, he stood up and left the graveyard, back to a lonely and solitary life.

FIN

* * *

 **Well, there it is; my first angst fanfic. I don't know if I did very well on the subject, so I would appreciate your thoughts.**

 **I picked "Christiane" as a middle name for Victorique because she's not given one as far as I know, and I thought it fit her name. If you know she has a middle name, please tell me.**

 **The views expressed in this fanfic are told from the perspective of Kazuya Kujo and thereby does not reflect on my beliefs (e.g. praying to the deceased or praying on their behalf, believing there is no power greater than death, believing Victorique to be in heaven). By the way, there is one sole power greater than death on this earth... the Lord Jesus Christ.**

 **Ta-ta, my readers - until next time!**


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